Nutrition or nourishment is essentially the supply, to cells and tissues of organisms, of the food materials to sustain life. A number of day to day ailments can be avoided or at least relieved by an intake of a healthy diet.

The food of a living being is constituted by what it eats, and is greatly selected by the sensed taste of edibles. An imbalanced diet can cast detrimental effect on health, resulting in deficiency ailments, such as beriberi, and scurvy; health deteriorating symptoms such as obesity and metabolic syndrome, and some usual chronic diseases of systems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Importance of Nutrition

In terms of medical science, nutrition can be defined as the process of consuming or digestion of foods to body’s utmost utility. The scientific studies of nutrition as a medical discipline have revealed that the body through a chemical process ‘catabolism’ decomposes the ingested food particles. The material so decomposed is consumed to generate new cells or repair the damaged cells and tissues through another reverse process called ‘anabolism’.

The dependence of body on food for survival has been found of persistent nature in all phases of life. Beginning from the fertilization of ovum, through the nine months of the development of fetus conceived in uterus, to delivery, the next growth years until death, the body inevitably depends on nutrients.

Conversely, the expiry of the human being may however sometimes serve as nutrition for other living beings. All organisms depend largely on combustion of nutrients for energy to be exercised in performing different activities of life.

Why Nutrition is important

After we have understood the importance of nutrition, the answer to its ‘why’ will begin to unravel automatically. Nutrients contain nourishment, as it is there in different edibles in the fine form such as ingredients of protein, fat, fiber, water, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Food items are categorized as macronutrients and micronutrients. ‘Macronutrients are needed in sufficient amounts by the body, while micronutrients are a kind of nutrients that are required just in small quantities.

Nutrition is especially vital for young children. It is so because they are undergoing through the much demanding process of growth and development. Regretfully enough, most of the nutrition essential for kids is not being supplied to their bodies in most parts of the underdeveloped world. The impact of junk food has affected their growth due to lack of essential elements.

Junk food supplies your body with an excess of carbohydrates, fats and small quantities of other vital nutrients. Sickness owing to obesity, malnutrition, etc. can be prevented by incorporating a balanced diet on the agenda of your daily eating schedule. However, if you find yourself deficient in vitamins, you can resort to vitamin supplements.